NBA Roundups: Grizzlies elevate Joerger to head coach

The Sports Xchange

The SportsXchange•June 25, 2013

The Memphis Grizzlies are officially staying in house to fill their coaching vacancy as they promoted assistant coach Dave Joerger on Tuesday to take over for departed Lionel Hollins. Other candidates who reportedly were on the Grizzlies' radar included Chicago Bulls assistant coach Ed Pinckney, former Denver Nuggets coach George Karl, former Phoenix Suns coach Alvin Gentry and Indiana Pacers associate head coach Brian Shaw, who was hired as the Nuggets' new coach. Joerger, 39, paid his dues in the lower levels of pro basketball, coaching teams to five titles during his time in the International Basketball Association, the Continental Basketball Association and the NBA Development League. Hollins wasn't offered a contract for next season after he led Memphis to the Western Conference finals. The past six years, he's been on the Grizzlies' bench. Joerger will earn about $2 million per season for the next three years. The deal includes a fourth year team option, a person familiar with the deal told USA TODAY Sports. The team didn't release financial details.

---Indiana Pacers assistant coach Brian Shaw took over the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday, his first head coaching job. Shaw reportedly also was a candidate for several other head coaching vacancies. Prior to his two seasons with the Pacers, Shaw spent seven seasons on the Lakers' coaching staff. The 47-year-old takes over a team that won 57 games last season. That helped George Karl be named NBA coach of the year. Nonetheless, Karl was fired by the Nuggets, who lost to the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs.

---The Los Angeles Clippers announced Tuesday that Doc Rivers is the team's new coach and senior director of basketball operations after the Boston Celtics agreed to release him from the final three years of his contract worth $21 million in exchange for a first-round draft pick in 2015. Rivers was expected to fly to Los Angeles on Tuesday and sign his contract in front of Clippers owner Donald Sterling. A news conference is planned for Wednesday. The money and length of the contract are the same as what had remained on his Celtics contract, according to reports.

---The Sacramento Kings will have two Malones on the bench next season with the hiring on Wednesday of Brendan Malone as an assistant coach. He will join a staff led by his son, Mike, who was named as the Kings' head coach earlier this month. The addition of Brendan Malone was announced Tuesday by the team, which did not disclose contract terms. The Malones become the second father and son to work as head coaches in the NBA, joining Bill and Eric Musselman. Bill Musselman was a former coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Eric Musselman held the same position with the Golden State Warriors and the Sacramento Kings.

---The Philadelphia 76ers haven't fired CEO Adam Aron, despite multiple reports to the contrary, a team spokesman said. A minority owner of the team, Aron has been involved in the business world with majority owner Josh Harris for more than 20 years. "Just minutes ago, I got off a plane from vacation in Africa and saw press reports," he posted on his Twitter account. "A la Mark Twain, rumors of my demise greatly exaggerated. ... I'm delighted to report that this is an immensely exciting time in my career. Moral of story: don't go on a faraway vacation!"

---The Minnesota Timberwolves will play a regular-season game in Mexico City for the first time in their history when they challenge the San Antonio Spurs as part of the expanded NBA Global Game schedule. The Wolves will serve as the home team against the Spurs, who lost to the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals, Dec. 4, at the Mexico City Arena. The 2013-14 NBA Global Games schedule includes 12 NBA teams playing 10 regular-season and preseason games in eight cities spanning six countries and territories.

---The Chicago Bulls and small forward Luol Deng have begun talks on a contract extension, according to a Yahoo! Sports report. Deng, 28, has one year and $14.3 million left on his deal with Chicago. Herb Rudoy, the representative for the former 7th overall pick in the 2004 draft, has held broad discussions with Bulls management since the end of the team's playoff run, and plans to speak more specifically in the coming weeks, sources told Yahoo! Sports.

---Houston small forward Thomas Robinson could again be on the move as the Rockets are is in "advanced talks" on a trade involving Robinson, the Houston Chronicle reported. The Rockets have been shopping the power forward, who averaged 4.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in 19 contests with Houston, who acquired him in during the season from Sacramento with forwards Francisco Garcia, Tyler Honeycutt and a second-round pick for forward Patrick Patterson, center Cole Aldrich, guard Toney Douglas and cash. The 21-year-old forward, who was the fifth overall selection in the 2012 draft, played 51 games with the Kings and averaged 4.8 points and 4.7 rebounds in 15.9 minutes per game.